The Hot Seat: GE India's Rachana Panda

Rachana PandaStarting today, we present to you a new snack-sized video interview series, where we engage marketers in a conversation about their brand, their plans for the brand, category insights and everything in between.

Not too long ago, GE made waves when it rolled out its proposition 'Digital Industrial', globally. A company that has its roots firmly set as deep and as far back as 124 years ago, is doing everything in its power to keep everything digital at its epicentre. Brand Equity caught up with GE India's chief communications officer Rachana Panda, to understand what 'Digital Industrial' means, and what it means for India.

"There are many nuances here, but first, we have begun by sharing our stories on digital. We have a team that is rigging up sensors in the Nicaragua volcano, the data of which is being fed to social media before anyone else, for instance," Panda says.

The company has always laid a special emphasis on digital, she says, which is why it hasn't had a problem being the '124-year-old startup' (as it proudly calls itself) embracing newer forms of digital media -- whether it is Instagram, Vine, Snapchat, Twitter or striking relationships with relevant online media companies.

"GE has strong domain knowledge of the sectors it operates in, be it healthcare, transportation and aviation. What is important, and what we are trying to do, is to be relevant to our audience," Panda reveals. GE spends a lot of time listening, and its experts invest time in seeking their younger audience and imbibing their ideas onto its go-to-market strategies. Of course, all strategies need to be commercially viable, but the company believes in 'failing fast', pulling off strategies that don't work and quickly getting back on its feet. The acceptance of failure, Panda believes, is what keeps GE moving forward.

What does it take, however, for a company that's over a 100 years old to stay relevant today? "Apart from the listening, we take pride in our evolved culture," Panda admits. For now, GE aims to let its innovative streak shine, the streak it traces back to Thomas Alva Edison and the invention of the light bulb.

In this video interview, Panda speaks about being 'Digital Industrial', about the company's relationship with branded content and embracing newer forms of social media. Listen in...